Alex Morgan's expected debut won't be the only change in the Portland Thorns' look Saturday night.

The Thorns will likely have a few more new faces in the lineup and on the bench when they host Western New York at Providence Park.

Trying to snap a two-game losing streak and erase the memory of the 4-1 debacle at Boston last week, the Thorns not only have Morgan healthy and ready to play, they added some new names to the roster and are, in some ways, starting fresh for the second time this season.

"It's like preseason all over again," center back Nikki Marshall said. "We have four or five new players in here that haven't been playing with us all season. And two that are brand new. It really is a brand new start."

Call them the Portland Thorns 2.0.

Morgan, one of the team's star strikers, is expected to play in a game for the first time this season. She has missed the team's first nine games while recovering from a lingering ankle injury. The forward is finally ready to play after a long and sometimes frustrating rehabilitation process.

"I'm looking forward to getting some minutes," Morgan said. "I don't know how many that will be."

The return of Morgan will eventually send Jessica McDonald, the team's leading scorer with five goals, to the bench. Morgan's return also means there is one person who is happier than Portland coach Paul Riley.

Christine Sinclair.

The Thorns other star striker has been blanketed by defenders, victimized by bad luck and occasionally poor finishing. She has scored just one goal this season, that one coming during garbage time in the loss at Boston.

Opposing defenses had less concern about McDonald than Sinclair, focusing their attention on the Canadian star. With Morgan back on the field, defenses can't solely target Sinclair, which should provide openings for both players.

A less heralded, but nearly equally important arrival is that of center midfielder Veronica Boquete. The Spanish international will be making her Thorns debut in the lineup and she is excited to be reunited with Riley.

Boquete played for Riley when the two were in Philadelphia in the now-folded Women's Professional Soccer league in 2011. Philadelphia reached the WPS championship game (losing to Western New York) and Boquete was named the league most valuable player that year.

"My best is always play between the lines and...play easy balls, keep the possession and try to find good balls in the last third of the park," Boquete said. "I hope to give the team more calm so we can have longer possessions in the game."

Another change that will occur is at left back.

Katarina Tarr, who had started in five games this season, underwent successful surgery on her left knee Thursday and is expected to miss four to six weeks. Tarr's injury provides an opening for Stephanie Catley, who arrived last week and was expected to compete for that position even if Tarr had remained healthy.

With all the new - and old - faces and likely changes, the Thorns are in the embryonic stages of another makeover. The first one occurred at the beginning of the season when Riley took over from former coach Cindy Parlow Cone and implemented a different style of play.

Now, the Thorns must adjust again to the addition of impact players nearly halfway through the regular season - and midfielder Tobin Heath is expected to arrive from Europe in early July. Riley is asking a lot from his players, but they do have enough talent to make it work as they try to capture consecutive league championships.

Notes: Center back Rachel Van Hollebeke could also see minutes against the Flash after working her way back to game fitness an ankle injury. ...Chicago midfielder Shannon Boxx trained with the Timbers during the week. Boxx, a U.S. National team member who lives in Portland, was working her back into game fitness after giving birth to a daughter in February.